Weekend weather: windy conditions to dominate as storm Hannah approaches

Friday

It will be damp and cloudy start to the day. More persistent rain will extend upwards from the southwest by the afternoon and winds will begin to increase over southern and western parts of the country. Met Éireann has warned that severe and damaging gusts will develop in the southwest, particularly as storm Hannah approaches.

Friday night

Friday night will see strong to gale force northwesterly winds in Munster, Connacht and south Leinster. It will become windy countrywide overnight but the most damaging gusts will ease as the night progresses. There will be some continued outbreaks of rain but these will gradually break up into showers and clear spells in the west and southwest overnight

Saturday

There will be a windy start to the day with fresh to strong northwesterly winds. The remaining rain in the east and north will clear by early afternoon and sunny spells with extend countrywide after that. There will be some showers but these will become isolated towards the evening. Highest temperatures of 8°C to 12°C.

Saturday night will be dry at first but cloud will thicken from the southwest followed by light rain in parts of Munster and Connacht. Temperatures will dip to lows of 2°C to 7°C and it will be coldest in Ulster.

Sunday

Sunday will see a return to milder temperatures with highs of 11°C to 16°C. It will be a cloudy and misty day with some brighter intervals possible in the evening. Sunday night will continue mainly cloudy and misty with occasional drizzle.

Dairy: in this week's dairy management, Aidan Brennan looks at how much meal to feed, what to do with grass and how to handle AI straws.

Beef: in the beef notes, Matthew Halpin has advice on managing the recent burst in grass growth, as well as reminders on BPS applications and BDGP targets.

Sheep: this week’s sheep notes cover the critical weeks for grassland management along with shearing and management of lactating yearling hoggets.

Tillage: growth over the past week has pushed many crops into their fungicide timing range so plant protection must begin, writes Andy Doyle in the tillage management notes.